Me? Center of mass with three timed shots, 800 meters, from a prone supported position. OO-RAH!

[gridlore]

New Lease on Life for the Beloved M-14

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated how critically important snipers are to a fight marked by urban canyons and high-mountain caves. Problem is, those highly-trained sharpshooters are in short supply, and the need for accurate, long-range fire has outpaced the services' ability to field one-shot killers.

So both the Army and Marine Corps began a program to seed infantry squads with so-called "designated marksmen" -- call them "snipers-lite."

The growing need to equip these new marksmen with accurized rifles prompted the Army to reconsider the role of the venerable M-14 rifle for the war on terror. Back in Desert Storm, armorers from the 10th Special Forces group took M-14s equipped with a match barrels and fitted a gas piston on them for optimal performance, re-designating it the M-25. They replaced the stock with a McMillan M1A fiberglass one, developed a scope mount and added a Bausch & Lomb 10x40mm fixed-power optic or a Leupold Mark 4.

The revamped M-14 provides the Army squad designated marksman with on-command direct fire support for his squad, a fire team or his platoon. The heavier-caliber sharpshooters provide cover when machine guns displace, counter-sniper fire in urban areas, and they help in overtaking valuable real estate.

Infrared targeting lasers such as the AN/PEQ-2 and PAQ-4C make the DM's job more like 24-hour shift work. Now that suppressors for the M-14-series of rifles are available, the night-vision capabilities coupled with sound mitigation makes the Soldier's ability to own the night even more secure.

Here it is:



Looks a lot like the M-21 I carried (with a few changes) and I can tell you that the idea of "squad marksman" is a long time coming. Being able to quickly and accurately respond to sniper fire is vital, and in MOUT situations having one squad member able to pick and choose targets is helpful.

I, of course, want one. I'd settle for a semi-auto M-14, but thanks to my stupid state, I can't even do that.

Comments

[caerbannogbunny.livejournal.com]

Not saying a word about the President-elect and gun control.

Not a word.

On the rifle though, many modern SDM M14 variants actually have a McMillan stock with a pistol grip and adjustable stock.

Many of the actual Army issue designated marksman rifles are now M16A4 variants... Not so obviously different to an observer (read: enemy.)

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

For distance shooting I don't like pistol grips. Blame my training, but it doesn't feel right.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

M1A? I'm sure that there are some California legal M1A models...

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I'm probably going to get a Mosin-Nagant (attention kshandra: Christmas is coming (http://www.gunexchange.com/index.htm))and a CD of Soviet patriotic music.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

Now that's a thought that puts me into the holiday spirit :).

serious question

[redc1c4.livejournal.com]

which of the two sights mentioned do you think is better, and why?

Re: serious question

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

For this application the B&L fixed optic. A battlefield marksman isn't going to need to fiddle with his sights that much. Just have them adjusted to his zero and teach him to adjust for range using the stadia lines. Variable scopes are for geeks like me who account for range, drop, wind, current astrological readings, and the effect of Bigfoot on gold prices before taking a shot.

I'll tell you, I almost wish I was still in so I could be the Chief Instructor at this phase of Infantry OSUT. "Alright, so y'all shot Expert. Now you learn to use that talent to engage and kill the enemy with precision. Y'all are killers."

i wanted a Letherwood ART

[redc1c4.livejournal.com]

for traditions sake, but since i can't even really take mine to the range anymore...... (if you ever come down to visit, i'll see if i can arrange something for ya! %-)

[dalen-talas.livejournal.com]

Are those things fully automatic? 'Cause otherwise they're more or less following the concept of the Dragunov SVD's - semi-automatic gas piston-driven designated marksman weapon. If I remember correctly, those were originally included to double or triple the maximum effective range for Soviet fireteams (up to about 600 - 800 m).

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Semi. The M-21 I fired was a reworked M-14 also and they started by removing the full-auto option. The effective range I find for the Dragunov (which I've fired, fairly nice weapon) is 800 meters, which is in line with most infantry-caliber sniper rifles.

[caraig.livejournal.com]

Interesting. The Soviet Army used this -- to reasonably good effect -- in their formations: one soldier with particularly good marksmanship ability would be assigned a Dragunov SVD.

Contrary to some belief, the Dragunov was NOT a true sniper rifle. It simply did not have the accuracy needed for sniper work. It was, however, superior to the AK-47 and successor assault rifles, and so was perfect for the designated marksman. I think we're seeing the same thing here. The military has the excellent M...100? I think? for sniper work while the designated marksman of the squads gets the also-excellent (but no longer sniper-grade) M1A. I think this is an excellent move on the part of the Army, and the Marines would do well to follow suit.

[nilita.livejournal.com]

Being canuck and ergo knowing poquito about guns, what little I know about snipers includes what I read in the autobio by a marine sniper "Jarhead" (Anthony Swofford). Was *that* your branch of service?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I was in the U.S. Army. But, back in my day, the Marine Corps did all the sniper training for the US armed Forces, so I went to Quantico for my training.